Adventure Skiing in Iceland, skitour & ride experience

Iceland, Land of Fire and Ice. The island is situated at the edge of the Arctic Circle and is unique in the world. It's the land of smoldering volcanoes, geysirs, bubbling pools, impressive waterfalls and magnificent glaciers. In the north of the country, at the Eyjafjörður Fjord - Iceland's longest Fjord - one finds Akureyri, often called the 'northern capital' of the country. Our base is located at the west side of the fjord. Here, on the Troll Peninsula, we find beautiful ski touring peaks mainly between 900 and 1400 meters high.

Iceland is a unique destination where you will enjoy the winter beauty with rugged mountains, frozen waterfalls and deep blue fjords.  A benefit certainly is that you do not need to acclimatise as you would need to do in the Alps.

Highlights:

• Perfect ski destination: snow and beautiful ski mountains in a wild nature with fjords, volcanoes, geysirs, glaciers and wild waterfalls
• Enough alternative activities in case of bad weather;  hotpools, whale watching, horseback riding etc
• Guided ski trip to Iceland in a unique, peaceful setting

Iceland is a unique destination where you will enjoy the winter beauty with rugged mountains, frozen waterfalls and deep blue fjords. A benefit is certainly that you do not need to acclimatise as you would need to do in the Alps. Mountain ridges connect closely to the fjords and there are endless possibilities for  skitouring and backcountry skiing. This magical island with fjords, volcanoes, geysirs, glaciers, waterfalls and mountain ridges is ideal for an AT randonnee ski trip. Luckily, it still has not been discovered by the masses, but as a skitouring destination it is definitely marked on the world map.

From our comfortable hotel everyday we will decide where to go, depending on weather and snow conditions. Private transportation by our 4x4 van gives us the freedom to go anywhere we like. Siglufjör∂ur, the village where we will be staying, used to be a bustling town of fishermen and whalers. There is an interesting museum which gives you a good idea of the past. It used to be a tough world and Siglufjör∂ur was a safe haven because of its natural inlet.  Clear skies helped the fisherman navigating into the inlet and obviously this is not a disadvantage for us skiers. But don't expect blue skies every day, Iceland is known for its very changeable weather. Tours start from the generally quiet roadside and there are dozens. Occasionally we use the small family skistation above town as a starting point. It gives access to quite big terrain and the couple of lifts, occasionally open, give us access to beautiful skitouring and freeride runs. From here, we can ascent some nice peaks and bowls are available on several sides. You will enjoy its beautiful views, a perfect start of the week!  The hotel is very comfortable and situated in the harbor which provides extra charm. Within an hours drive from the hotel we find many more skitouring goals!

Tentative program:
Iceland Air has daily direct flights to Reykjavik (Keflavik International Airport KEF) from all major European airports and also from Canada and the US.  You can fly from Reykjavik Domestic RKV to Akureyri AEY in the North. Edward will pick you up from the airport in Akureyri and usually we stay a night in or near Akureyri, quite an enjoyable town and good starting point for skitouring. Also you can enjoy the Forest Lagoon geothermal Spa, right outside town. Our main base for skitouring is Siglufjör∂ur on the Troll Peninsula, a good hours drive, depending on road conditions,  where we will stay in a very comfy hotel overlooking the port. Upon return to the hotel, you can relax outside in the large hotpool.

We will dine at the hotel or at local pubs and restaurants. Some great food is waiting for us, local Icelandic cod, lamb and beef are famous. Good lagers are available and there even is a local brewery. Conditions permitting we give heli-assisted skitouring a try.  After safety briefing in the early morning we fly up to our first peak. When the helicopter is gone we are on our own and it feels good! We first take a good look around, there is no time pressure. Then we start off with a nice glacierrun, alpine skiing on the glacier, very enjoyable and with still good legs! When it flattens out we put the skins under the skis to hike back up to the second peak. And we can do it again. And why not, again! In a beautiful spot we take our lunch. The last run takes us back into the valley, the Ski∂adalur or Svarfa∂ardalur.

If we want to enjoy some more alpine skiing or freeriding, we can use 2 ski lifts close to Siglu. From the highest lift we have great views overlooking the fjord and by using our climbing skins we can reach several peaks followed by great runs. There is even a run that is pointing straight at the sea, this is very special! At the end of the week we have the choice to do another short ski tour and then fly to Reykjavik and further home. 

Nature of the trip:
Basically this is a guided ski touring trip in a unique peaceful environment; your guide will find you the best snow under the circumstances. You can expect any kind of snow from powder to corn to hardpack and slush.  Technical aids such as lifts, a snowcat or helicopter may be used to extend our range; it is adventure skiing, but in a relaxed way.  Nothing is mandatory and if you prefer to skip a day to be able to relax and read a book: this is all quite possible.